Associate Director, Product Safety & Compliance

The Opportunity

Caraway Home is looking for an experienced Associate Director, Product Safety & Compliance to build our product compliance function from the ground up and own what we call the Caraway Promise, a testing-obsessed, transparency-first approach to product safety that sets the bar for the industry. The Caraway Promise exists because we believe in transparency, not because the industry requires transparency. 

This is a foundational role, the first dedicated compliance hire at Caraway, responsible for building the frameworks, lab relationships, testing strategy, supply chain diligence, claims substantiation, and regulatory sequencing across a diverse and growing product portfolio. You will own the full compliance lifecycle across Caraway's product categories (cookware, bakeware, electrical items, food contact materials, textiles, and packaging), always meeting or exceeding the most stringent applicable global standard to establish industry-leading Caraway protocols and procedures. You will be US-based, work closely with Asia-based suppliers and third-party labs (particularly in China), and build the internal systems and processes that let Caraway scale compliantly, credibly, and with confidence.

Additionally, an important responsibility of this role is disseminating key information, labels, and results to support marketing initiatives. You need to be a strong communicator, working collaboratively with cross functional teams, to broadcast and showcase the diligence Caraway is taking across its entire product portfolio in regards to compliance, being able to assist with crafting accurate, transparent, educational and understandable language and messaging that resonates with our consumer. 

This position reports to our Director, Product Development.

Who You Are

You have ten or more years of product safety and regulatory compliance experience in consumer goods, ideally grounded in chemistry, materials science, or applied laboratory research, with deep expertise in food contact materials, cookware, kitchen appliances, or an adjacent hard goods category. You know FDA, LFGB, EU Framework Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, REACH, CA Prop 65, CA AB 1200, NSF, FSC, and CPSC requirements not as acronyms on a checklist, but as frameworks you've navigated hands-on, including where global standards diverge. You’ll use this fluency to scale the Caraway Promise internationally: building a testing and compliance framework that anticipates global standards. 

You are a builder and a scientist at heart, ready to own a compliance program entirely: selecting labs, building testing matrices, writing material certification requirements, establishing supplier audit cadences, and designing the studies needed to substantiate product claims. You operate comfortably across cultures and time zones, with direct experience working with labs and manufacturers in Asia, particularly China. You communicate complex science and regulatory requirements clearly to internal teams (Product, Marketing, Legal, Supply Chain) and external partners alike, and you see internal education as core to the job.

Responsibilities

• Own and pioneer the Caraway Standard: define and champion a testing-obsessed, transparency-first approach to product safety that goes beyond what regulation requires, because we believe our customers deserve it.
• Build Caraway's product safety and compliance program, defining frameworks, documentation standards, testing protocols, regulatory calendars, and governance processes across all product categories (cookware, bakeware, small appliances, food contact materials, textiles, and packaging); integrate compliance across the full product lifecycle, from development and supplier onboarding through market placement, ongoing monitoring, and end-of-life.
• Own and continuously monitor regulatory compliance across US federal and state requirements (FDA food contact, CPSC, CA Prop 65, CA AB 1200, Colorado PFAS Act, and emerging state chemical legislation) and international standards (EU LFGB, EC No 1935/2004, REACH, RoHS, UK REACH post-Brexit), always applying the most stringent applicable standard; lead regulatory change management as a distinct workstream, assessing impact and briefing stakeholders ahead of deadlines.
• Lead product component mapping and material disclosure, maintaining a complete picture of every material, coating, pigment, and component across Caraway's supply chain, including Declarations of Compliance, material safety data sheets, and test reports.
• Design and manage Caraway's testing strategy, selecting and managing third-party labs (particularly in Asia, including NRTLs for small appliances), defining testing scope and frequency by product type and risk level, and sequencing testing within development timelines to avoid launch delays or costly late-stage findings.
• Own claims substantiation: design and commission the clinical, laboratory, and comparative studies (for example migration testing, coating durability, comparative non-stick performance) needed to support our non-toxic, food-safe, and sustainability claims. Partner with Marketing and Customer Research on which claims to make and how to communicate them, and ensure all claims are legally defensible and compliant with FTC guidelines and retailer requirements (Target, Crate & Barrel, Bloomingdale's, etc.), including CA AB 1200 disclosure obligations.
• Conduct supply chain compliance diligence, including BSCI and Sedex (SMETA) social compliance audits and material certifications (OEKO-TEX, FSC, GRS, GOTS); embed Caraway's material and safety standards directly into manufacturing quality plans in China so factory teams implement them consistently on the production line, not just on paper; manage supplier CAPA processes and produce performance reporting to inform sourcing decisions.
• Serve as Caraway's internal subject matter expert on product safety and science, building internal education that embeds our standards into onboarding and cross-functional fluency by year one; act as the primary point of contact for retailers, certifying bodies, and regulatory agencies on compliance matters.
• Own product incident management, leading investigations into consumer complaints and non-conformances, conducting root cause analysis, implementing CAPAs, and coordinating with Legal, Customer Experience, and Operations on any product withdrawal or CPSC recall process; maintaining documentation and reporting readiness for regulatory inquiries.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 10+ years of product safety, regulatory compliance, or quality assurance experience in consumer goods, with at least 5 years focused on food contact materials, cookware, kitchen appliances, or closely adjacent hard-goods categories; demonstrated ownership across the full compliance lifecycle, from concept and supplier qualification through launch and incident response. No junior or generalist profiles.
• Deep, working knowledge of food contact material regulations including FDA 21 CFR, LFGB (Chapters 30/31), EU Framework Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, REACH, CA Prop 65, CA AB 1200, FSC, NSF, and the Colorado PFAS Chemicals Consumer Protection Act; familiarity with UK REACH and other international frameworks is a strong plus.
• Background in chemistry, materials science, or applied laboratory and clinical research, with direct experience designing and running studies used to substantiate product safety or performance claims.
• Demonstrated experience managing third-party lab relationships in Asia (China in particular), including test plan scoping, report interpretation, and navigating discrepancies between lab results and supplier-provided data.
• Hands-on experience with social compliance and supply chain auditing programs, including BSCI and Sedex/SMETA (2- and 4-pillar); familiarity with material certification schemes (OEKO-TEX Standard 100, FSC, GRS, GOTS); skilled at managing CAPA processes and building supplier performance scorecards.
• Proven ability to develop and manage product testing strategies, including migration testing, heavy metals (lead, cadmium), PFAS/PFOA screening, sensory evaluation, and applicable electrical safety standards (UL, ETL, IEC 60335) for small appliances.
• Familiarity with FTC Green Guides and CPSC Section 15(b) reporting obligations, product recall mechanics, and the CPSC Fast Track Recall Program.
• Ability to build and maintain product component maps and material traceability documentation across a multi-supplier, multi-category portfolio, including Declarations of Compliance, mill certificates, glaze and coating specifications, and batch-level test records.
• Strong cross-functional communication and risk management skills; able to translate scientific and regulatory findings into clear, prioritized guidance for Product, Marketing, Legal, Sourcing, and Supply Chain, and to present compliance risk and status to senior leadership.
• Demonstrated experience building compliance programs or functions in an environment with limited existing infrastructure; entrepreneurial by nature, with the ability to prioritize and execute without relying on inherited playbooks.
• Ability to travel internationally to visit manufacturing partners and labs in Asia, up to 35 to 40% annually; experience working with facilities in China required, with additional familiarity across Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia) a plus.
• Proficiency in Mandarin (spoken and/or written) is a bonus; at minimum, demonstrated effectiveness working through translation with Mandarin-speaking suppliers, factories, and lab contacts.
• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Food Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related field, with hands-on laboratory or clinical research experience a strong plus; advanced degree or professional certification (for example RAPS, ISO Lead Auditor) a plus.
• Experience with small appliance safety standards (UL 60335-1, IEC 60335-2 series, ETL) preferred; experience managing certification processes with Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs) a plus.
• Familiarity with retailer compliance and vendor onboarding requirements (Target, Crate & Barrel, Bloomingdale's, Costco, Amazon) and the documentation standards they require from suppliers.

Please note that the duties and responsibilities outlined in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the role. Additional tasks and responsibilities may be assigned as needed to meet business needs.

The anticipated base salary range for this role is $140,000 to $160,000. Final compensation will depend on a variety of factors determining base pay at offer, including but not limited to skills, qualifications, and experience. This range provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within the role.

Who We Are

Caraway is a home goods brand on a mission to craft well-designed, non-toxic essentials that thoughtfully raise the standards of what you cook with. We're passionate about creating elevated products, made without forever chemicals, that are better for you, your family, and the planet. We prioritize a holistic approach to the creation of Caraway products. We partner with ethical manufacturers where their employees are safe, paid fairly, given benefits, and work regulated hours. Our eco-friendly manufacturing process emits less CO2 than traditional non-stick coatings, and we use sustainable packaging practices and ship in packaging made from recycled materials. We pride ourselves on continuously striving to do and be better, for you and the planet, in every step of the process.

Since launching in November 2019, we've become one of the fastest growing digitally native brands of the last decade and are now sold in retailers including Target, Bloomingdale's, Crate & Barrel, The Container Store, Costco, Zola, and many more.

We've amassed over 200,000+ five-star reviews from more than 2.5M+ happy customers and thousands of press hits from the likes of Vogue, Domino, Good Housekeeping, Food & Wine, Architectural Digest, PureWow, Fortune, and CNN.

Caraway is a fully remote company filled with motivated and hardworking innovators and doers. We're continually developing programs to support our distributed team to ensure a successful remote experience. If you're looking to join a brand that folks love, read on and apply!

Life at Caraway

Team: You will be joining a passionate and collaborative fully remote crew that prides itself on high-quality work, supporting one another, sharing our successes, and building a brand we truly love, together.

Culture: At Caraway, we value continuous learning and career growth. We strive to continually optimize our processes, ensuring that we're thoughtful in everything we do, both internally and externally. We listen to our employees, celebrate our wins, and constantly look for ways to be better for our crew, and the world.

Workplace: Being a fully remote company, we have no headquarters and are truly distributed across the US and internationally. Our leadership team sits in the US. We offer a monthly stipend towards co-working space should folks need to switch up their working environment every now and then.

Benefits: We value you and your family. With this in mind, full-time eligible employees are provided:

• Equity: We believe in our product and that the sky's the limit for where our business is going. You are an asset to Caraway's success, and we think you should be rewarded for it.
• 401k: A 3% company match to help you plan for your future.
• Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage options with generous employer contributions, plus access to FSA/HSA/Dependent Care FSAs.
• Parental Leave: Up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, depending on tenure, and access to additional fertility care services via KindBody.
• A Setup That Works for You: From MacBook to PC, we've got you covered. Let us know what you prefer and we'll get your at-home setup stocked.
• Elevate Your Workspace: Annual reimbursements for you to elevate your workspace, from standing desks to desktop succulents.
• Fully Remote: Need to pick up the kids? No problem. Have a doctor's appointment? Enjoy. Flexibility when you need it most.
• Coworking Reimbursement: Need a break from the home setting? Monthly reimbursements for you to get out of the house and work from anywhere, from day passes to monthly memberships.
• Events and Swag: Connection is top of mind, even in our completely remote environment. We have monthly virtual events, company-wide offsites, and plenty of new Caraway swag.
• Leveling Up with Caraway: In addition to exciting opportunities and exposure in your day-to-day work, we offer annual reimbursements to full-time employees to support their professional development.
• #AwayFromCaraway: We believe healthy, happy humans do better work. We offer unlimited PTO in addition to our 11+ paid annual holidays and quarterly wellness days.
• Wellness Reimbursement: Monthly reimbursements for you to stay well, from meal services to gym memberships to monthly massages.
• Employee Discount: We provide an employee discount on all Caraway Home products so you can continue to level up your kitchen and home life, too.
• Home Upgrade(s): Complimentary product as a new hire, plus continuous opportunities to expand your Caraway Home collection.

Caraway is an Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.